NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 October 2016
Two spaceships are racing to the International Space Station this weekend. One is delivering about 2,400 kilograms of crew supplies and science gear and another is carrying three new crew members.
The Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome early Wednesday and will dock to the International Space Station Friday morning. Expedition 49-50 crew members Shane Kimbrough, Andrey Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov will enter the Poisk module to begin their mission and live and work in space until February.
Though the Orbital ATK Cygnus resupply ship launched first Monday night from Virginia, it is taking a slower approach to the station and will arrive Sunday. Mission managers decided to let the Cygnus take its time on orbit and let the new crew members arrive first. Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi will command the 57.7-foot-long Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus while NASA astronaut Kate Rubins backs him up. Ground controllers will then remotely control the robotic arm to install Cygnus to the Unity module for a month-long stay.
The next big mission event will be the departure of Rubins, Onishi and cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin. The Expedition 49 crew members have been in space since July and will return to Earth Oct. 29. Ivanishin is packing the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft with cargo and preparing the vehicle for its undocking and landing in Kazakhstan.
On-Orbit Status Report
Soyuz 48S Launch: 48S launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at GMT 293/08:05:14.378, carrying Expedition 49 crewmembers Shane Kimbrough, Andrei Borisenko, and Sergey Ryzhikov to the ISS. Vehicle experienced a nominal ascent and all solar arrays and antennas successfully deployed. The Soyuz will perform a 34-orbit rendezvous before docking with the ISS on Friday, October 21 at 9:59 am GMT.
Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Remove and Replace (R&R): FE-6 disconnected the water umbilicals at the CIR Z-Panel, removing water pressure from the rack. The crew then accessed and changed out the Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) Supply and Return hoses. Last week the rack was connected to the Vacuum Exhaust System to remove the water from within the CIR. Today’s hose changeouts will enable the resumption of FLame Extinguishment-2 (FLEX-2) operations using a decane fuel and will position CIR for implementation of the Cool Flames Investigation (CFI) arriving on OA-5. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary for soot to form, and the way in which a mixture of fuels evaporate before burning. The results from these experiments will give scientists a better understanding how fires behave in space and will provide important information that will be useful in increasing the fuel efficiency of engines using liquid fuels. CFI provides new insight into the phenomenon where some types of fuels initially burn very hot, then appear to go out — but they continue burning at a much lower temperature, with no visible flames (cool flames). Understanding cool flame combustion helps scientists develop new engines and fuels that are more efficient and less harmful to the environment.
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Ethernet Hub Unit Installation: FE-6 installed the JEM Ethernet Hub Unit and connect Ethernet and power cables earlier today. This will provide new capability of a redundant data line for the Medium Rate Data Link (MRDL).
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
??-8. Setup
Body Mass Measurement
??-8. Closeout Ops
ISS CREW/SSIPC CONFERENCE
Meteor Hard Drive Set Swap
PILOT-T. Experiment Setup.
JEM Ethernet Hub Unit Installation
Meteor Hard Drive Gather
PILOT-T. Experiment Session.
Tropical Cyclone Hardware Closeout
Combustion Integrated Rack Middle Panels Rack Doors Open
Combustion Integrated Rack Front End Cap Open
JEM Ethernet Hub Unit Ethernet Crossover Cable 5m Reconnection
Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus Water Hose Replace
PILOT-T. Closeout Ops.
Combustion Integrated Rack Front End Cap Close
Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Close
Soyuz 731 Sokol Suit Leak Check
Drying of Sokol Suits (Soyuz 731), setting up suits 1 and 2 for drying
Adjustment of Kentavr for Soyuz 731 crew
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3
??? maintenance
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
OTKLIK. Hardware Monitoring
Termination of space suits 1, 2 drying (Soyuz 731)
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) WSTA Fill
Start drying of the 3rd space suit and set up the 1st pair of gloves for drying (Soyuz 731)
Terminate drying of the 1st pair of gloves and start drying of the 2nd pair (Soyuz 731)
Terminate drying of the 2nd pair of gloves (Soyuz 731)
Dose Tracker Data Entry Subject
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
Terminate drying of the 3rd space suit, start drying of the 3rd pair of gloves (Soyuz 731)
Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE
Terminate drying of the 3rd pair of gloves (Soyuz 731)
Space suits and gloves post-drying closeout ops (Soyuz 731)
Completed Task List Items
Wet Lab RNA SmartCycler Session 3
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Nominal Ground Commanding
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 10/20: Off Duty
Friday, 10/21: 48S Docking
Saturday, 10/12: Cygnus Capture OBT, Emergency OBT, Crew Adaptation
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Idle
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Shutdown
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up
